Employmentweb_low

eMployMent relations and health inequalities: pathways and MechanisMs
supports the hypothesis that both selection and exposure are
important in explaining the association between unemployment and
ill-health. as has been demonstrated in prospective studies, the
exposure effect may be strongest after control for health-related
selection (claussen, 1999; hammarström & Janlert, 2002; novo, 2000;
Burgard, Brand, & house, 2007). some major longitudinal
studies in psychiatric epidemiology, such as the Baltimore
epidemiologic catchment area (eca) follow-up study
(eaton, Muntaner, Bovasso, & smith, 2001), show stronger
effects of “social causation” over “social selection” for
common mental disorders such as major depression.
There is still a lack of both theoretical models for and
empirical research on the possible mechanisms mediating
between unemployment and ill-health. Theoretically, the
following causal pathways related to exposure have been
proposed. economic deprivation models assume that
unemployment leads to a deteriorated economic position Checking job vacancies. Employment center in
for the unemployed, which in turn worsens the murmansk (russian Federation).
Fuente: © oit/M. crozet (2006)
prerequisites for good health (Janlert, 1991). consistently
with this model, excess risk of mental distress has been shown to be
concentrated among people who are unemployed with no benefits
(artazcoz, Benach, Borrell, & cortès, 2004) or those who are
financially worse-off (Thomas, Benzeval, & stansfeld, 2007).
according to the stress theory of unemployment (Kagan & levi, 1975),
unemployment and uncertainty about one's future work situation may
act as a stressor, which in turn can lead to physiological changes
including risky health behaviours as well as deteriorated health. a
recent study demonstrated impairment in immune function related to
chronic stress among unemployed people, with a substantial recovery
for those who obtained new employment (cohen et al., 2007). The
social support model is closely connected to the stress model and
implies that unemployment leads to increased social isolation, which
in turn can either have direct health effects or decrease the buffering
effect of social support (roberts, Pearson, Madeley, hanford, &
Magowan, 1997). in the control model, the lack of decision latitude and
control over life that unemployment brings with it can lead to
deteriorated health (Karasek & Theorell, 1990). The latent function
model developed by Marie Jahoda (1982) is based on what needs
(beyond economic ones) a job should fulfill in order to be a good job.
These needs are such that employment provides a time structure to
the day as well as regularly shared experiences and contact with
others. Moreover, employment contributes to status and identity and
provides opportunities for striving for collective goals and purposes.
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